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One is training, which is primarily for kittens. When somebody brings us a kitten, that’s one of the things we talk about - how to train them to use a scratching post. It’s very effective. But it’s much less successful with adult cats. There are also those vinyl nail caps for cats (aka soft claws). They can be used successfully. The caps are put on with surgical adhesive and the cats usually get used to them within a day or two. They last about a month. They’re especially good for cats that need to be kept indoors for a short period of time. But it can be done long-term if done properly. Trimming nails, if you do it weekly, can help if the problem is scratching people, but it won’t stop a cat from damaging furniture.

There are a couple of good reasons. Medically, sometimes you have to remove a claw if the claw is damaged beyond repair or if it has a tumor. Sometimes it’s also trauma to the owners. There are people whose immune systems are suppressed or the elderly on blood thinners who can’t be exposed to the bacteria on a cat’s claws. But the majority of declawings are due to social issues -- where cats are being destructive and tearing up furniture.

Pick a good feeding site. And particularly in a kitten, feed it a variety of flavors and forms of food. Always offer the different foods in separate containers. Your kitten can’t tell you what he likes and dislikes. So keep offering him choices so you can find what he’ll like and what he doesn’t. It’s like kids. You want to expose them to lots of different choices.

Not eating is not normal for cats. If a cat isn’t eating but otherwise seems healthy, then it probably doesn’t like the food. So I’d change the food. But if it’s not eating and also seems lethargic or sick, then take it to your veterinarian immediately.

In nature, cats are very open to trying new foods. So if a cat is finicky, something is preventing its natural feeding behaviors. Then it’s a matter of figuring out what that is. It can be any number of things from it just doesn’t like the food to it’s too frightened to eat. Sometimes, just breaking a cat’s routine can put a cat off its food. This is especially true with indoor cats. They often perceive change as a threat.